Archive for the ‘Tour Itineraries of Ethiopia’ Category

Thank you for 2016!! I want to thank you for your interest in Ethiopia and FANOS Ethiopia Tours. Your visit here will have a very positive benefit to our community as we rely on local businesses and individuals to assist our company. That includes the guides, cooks, & local communities those who provide the authentic culture, horses and mules. Happy New Year, 2017

In Addis Ababa Demera (the bonfire) is constructed on Meskerem 16 (September 26) and lit in late afternoon on the same day. In Addis, the capital city’s square, named after the same festival, is where the colorful celebration begin in the early afternoon of Meskerem 16. A crowd of people gather at the square, holding flaming Chibo (torches). Members of the clergy carry processional crosses and musical instruments from the Orthodox churches. They perform a religious Meskal song, whose meaning is directly related to the story of Queen Elleni (also known as Hellena); mother of King Constantine the Great of the Eastern Roman Empire. They celebrate it by playing music on instruments such as the Kabaro (the drum), Mequamia (the staff), Tsenatsil (the sistra) and so on.

At the celebration a chariot is dragged to commemorate the chariot by which Queen Elleni went to the site of the cross. As night starts to fall, attendants bearing their lighted Chibo walk around the Demera anti-clockwise direction at least three times, singing the traditional Meskal song. The Patriarch then lights the fire, and the laity in attendance wait until the central pole of the bonfire falls.

The Debre Damo Monastery is built on the flat- topped mountain of Debre Damo. The monastery, which dates back to early Axumite times, is said to possess the oldest existing intact church in Ethiopia.

Legend has it that Abune Aregawi, one of the Nine Saints who came from Syria in the 6th century, judged that the plateau land above him was a suitable place on which to live a solitary life. God, hearing his wish, commanded a snake living on the mountain- top to stretch down and lift up the holy man, who made Debre Damo his abode. The monastery is only accessible by climbing a rope which hangs down from a perpendicular rock, an adventure in itself!!

This small island monastery, separated from teh eastern shore by a narrow marshy corridor, is dominate be by as stirking spin of rock perhaps 30m high, and fringed by riparian forest supporting several paris of fish eagle. It has acquired something approaching cultu status sine the publication of Grahm Hancock’s book ‘The Sign and the Seal’, in which it is claimed that the islands monks have an ancient tradition that the Ark of the Covenant was kept here for 800 years before it was removed to Axum in the 4th century AD by King Ezana. Traditions has it that the Christian monastery was founded during the 6the Century reign of Gebre Meskel by Saint Yared and Abune Aregawi. The church building, though reasonably old, is architecturally undistinguished and rather ramshackle, with no paintings that appear to be more than a decade old.

Far more interesting than the monastery itself is a trio of hollowed out sacrificial pillars alongside it, testifying to the island’s importance as a Judaic religious shrine in per-Christian times. Given the Ethiopian predilection for mythologising – a ‘footprint’ on one of the isldand’s rock is claimed to be that of none other than Jesus Christ – it is stretching a point to conclude, as Hancock does, that these pillars provide circumstantial support for the Ark having onec resided on the island.

Tana Chirkos lies some three hours from Bahir Dar by boat; the walk from the jetty to the monastery takes no more than five minutes. On the way to the island (coming back), it is possible to look a two further monastires, both on small forested island about 30 minutes from Tana Chirkos. These are Rema Medhane Alem, a recently rebuilt church in which are stored a few interesting old paintings, and Misele Fasiliads, founded during the rule of teh Empreor after how it is named and architecturally undistinguished – though the surrounding forest is rich in birdlife.

In many tourist destinations, at this time with direct independent internet access to the marketing and booking opportunities, most experienced travelers no longer use tour operator services. In Ethiopia this is not the case.

Little tourist information, unavailable breakdown services for cars, dangerous roads, and little tourist infrastructure places the tourist industry firmly in the hands of the tour operator. Tour operators even dominate the car hire market, as this is part of their service, and tourists have no choice, they need to hire the driver. It is a fact that the tour operator in the Ethiopian tourism sector has an unusually strong position.

A few tour operators are responding to the niche market by promoting genuine ecotourism, carving out new routes, and trying sustainable practices where possible.

The quality of the tour product falls within the cost framework decided by the client often depends on a chain of a few individual service providers; the tour operator who plans the itinerary, buy/rents equipment for a certain standard of comfort, and the staff he employs. The actual attractions of the tour have little variation for the majority of operators.

Tour operators have developed the product, presented people and destinations based on available resources and their understanding of tourist expectation. The well-being of destinations communities or their environment has not always been seen as important.

As prepaid tours often leave fewer possibilities for economic interaction between tourists and host – as the tourist believes everything has been paid for, and tour operators often, due to try and reduces their costs by paying minimal fees to local communities.

As a result, FANOS Ethiopia Tours www.fanosethiopiatours.com launches an alternative (sustainable) community tourism starting from March, 2016. We believe community participation is important to the long term existence of the tourism destinations. We arrange, facilitate and organize a tour whereas our local agents in each destination get the fair payment for services.

Discover different ways of life; explore historical sites and every day modern culture. Meet the local people and experience new customs and cuisines of Ethiopia.

Participation of host communities provides partnerships which improves the quality of life for communities, improves the tourist experience, and provides better long term business opportunities for all. It is a win-win situation.